 "CJI Sanjiv Khanna retires, BR Gavai to take oath as 52nd Chief Justice")
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna retired on Tuesday, May 13, and passed the baton to senior Supreme Court judge Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna (BR) Gavai. Justice Gavai will take oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on Wednesday, May 14. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath of office.
CJI Khanna addressed a ceremonial bench at the Supreme Court on his last working day. In his farewell speech, he said he was “speechless” and reflected on the role of the judiciary and its relationship with the public.
“I am speechless. I carry a lot of memories. Once you are a lawyer, you remain a lawyer. The public trust that the judiciary has cannot be commanded and has to be earned. Judiciary is a common term that represents the Bench and the Bar. Bar is the conscience keeper,” CJI Khanna said, as reported by NDTV.
He also noted that judges come from different backgrounds and that diversity strengthens judicial decision-making. Speaking about Justice Gavai, he said, “Justice BR Gavai has been my biggest support. In him, you will have a great CJI. He will uphold the fundamental rights and liberty.”
Justice Sanjiv Khanna served as the 51st Chief Justice of India. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on January 18, 2019. He was also the Patron-in-Chief of the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) and Chairperson of the National Judicial Academy (NJA), Bhopal.
He held several key positions, including:
- Chairman, Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (June 17 – December 25, 2023)
- Executive Chairman, NALSA (December 26, 2023 – November 10, 2024)
Justice Khanna began his legal practice in Delhi’s district courts before focusing on the Delhi High Court. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on June 24, 2005, and became a Permanent Judge on February 20, 2006.
While at the Delhi High Court, he served as chairman/ judge-in-charge of the Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi International Arbitration Centre, and the District Court Mediation Centres.
Key voice in landmark rulings
As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Khanna was part of several significant verdicts. In 2024, he was on the bench that granted interim bail to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He was also part of the five-judge bench that declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional due to concerns over transparency and corruption.
In April, CJI Khanna had formally recommended Justice BR Gavai as his successor and sent the proposal to the Law Ministry as part of the appointment process.
Justice Gavai, currently the senior-most judge after CJI Khanna, will now assume the role of the 52nd Chief Justice of India.